Single-Origin Chocolate
Venezuela43%
Where cocoa got its name.
The taste of Venezuela 43%
- Caramel
- Vanilla
- Creamy
Origin
The Cradle of Cocoa
In the 17th century, Venezuela was one of the first regions in the world from which cocoa was traded to Europe. The varieties native here were called Criollo, the native, to distinguish them from varieties introduced later, which were regarded as Forastero, the stranger. The name Criollo is closely tied to Venezuelan cocoa.
Criollos are at the same time one of the oldest and rarest cocoa varieties in the world, delicate and demanding to grow, and today hardly found in pure form. Those who grow them do so with conviction and a great deal of patience: low yields, high susceptibility to disease, labour-intensive care. This is already visible in the bean itself, which in Criollo is often light to almost white, whereas other varieties are a deep purple. The reason for this is also the reason for the flavour: Criollo contains significantly fewer of the bitter pigments that characterise other cocoa varieties. You can taste exactly that later in the chocolate bar: mild, round, almost without bitterness.
Fair cultivation
A Changing Supply
For many years we visited the growing areas in Venezuela directly. The last trip took place in 2014; since then, the circumstances in the country have made safe direct contact on site difficult. Since then we have sourced our fine flavour cocoa from Venezuela via a fine flavour cocoa specialist who has committed to responsible cultivation and fairer working conditions for the cocoa farmers.
Fine flavour cocoa
The Patience of Criollo
In Venezuela, too, our cocoa grows in agroforestry systems rather than monocultures, together with other plants and trees. This protects the soil, promotes biodiversity and secures the quality of the beans over the years.
Criollo then demands particular care: the trees are susceptible to disease, the yields are low, every harvest is the result of patience rather than quantity. Fermentation and drying ultimately decide whether the bean's fine, mild aromas are preserved or lost.
The taste of
Venezuela 43%
- Caramel
- Vanilla
- Creamy
- Nutty
In Venezuela, rare Criollo fine flavour cocoa grows, with a mild and delicate character.
The deliberate balance of origin, recipe and 43% cocoa content combines warm caramel notes, delicate vanilla and subtle nutty nuances with a soft melt.
Selected fine flavour cocoa meets Rausch's many years of chocolate expertise.
